1. Technical Field
The present device is an adjustable holder for supporting a book, magazine, recipe card, or the like, which can be folded for storage. It preferably includes a transparent, flat magnifying panel.
2. Background Information
There are currently available holders and stands for supporting books and other reading material. One problem that is not solved by currently available book stands, though, is the problem of having to stop reading and remove the book from the stand in order to turn the page. This can be cumbersome and inconvenient where, for example, the person is cooking or doing a craft according to instructions being held by the book holder, and their hands are sticky or dirty. This problem is solved by the present invention, which has a hinged viewing member that can be moved toward or away from the book by the user. With the present device, the reader need only lift the viewing member with one hand, turn the page, and push the viewing member back down on the fresh page or pages. The user need not stop in mid-operation, perhaps with soiled hands, to remove the book, turn the page, and reinsert the book one or more times.
Another advantage of the present holder is that it can accommodate books, magazines, and other reading materials of varying thicknesses. By choosing shorter or longer pegs to support the reading article, and positioning the pegs in peg holes which are closer to or farther from the reading article, the present holder may be used to support a thick book, a flexible magazine, or a single recipe card, for example. Along with protecting the reading article from spatters, the viewing member of this invention preferably magnifies the words on the page for greater legibility from a distance. The holder of the present invention is also unique in that it folds into a book-like shape for easy storage on, for example, a shelf.